Over the Christmas break, some family friends of ours had their snowmobiles stolen right off their flatbed trailer. It was on relatively well lit street, the snowmobiles were tied down and didn't have the keys in them, and they weren't in a seedy area where you might expect something like this. Despite all of this, they still had their snowmobiles stolen in the early hours of boxing day. 

If your car is making any sound other than the typical operating noises, you probably have some issues with your vehicle. In order to help your avoid expensive auto repairs it's good to proactively listen to what your car is telling you. Keeping an ear out for unusual sounds in your car can help you identify potential problems early and prevent costly repairs. Here are some common car sounds and what they may indicate: 

Convictioncan be a bit of a scary word. In this context, convictions are not quite as dramatic as a Law and Order kind of convictions. In this case, a conviction refers to a driving conviction on your record. A driving conviction is when you get a pullover ticket where you were cited by the police for breaking the law.

*Note that only pullover tickets caused by your driving behaviour will impact your insurance. 

This morning in Leduc County, where I am currently living, it was -43˚C when accounting for the wind chill. Given that it is December 20^th in central Alberta, this kind of weather isn't really out of the ordinary. Living on an acreage, we park our vehicles outside on the driveway overnight. With multiple people living in the house, we have 4 vehicles on the property.

The province of Alberta is not usually known for it's natural disasters. In actuality, it's quite the opposite. The land-locked nature of the province prevents tsunamis and hurricanes, the relatively flat nature of the province isolates the risk of landslides and avalanches, and volcanic eruptions aren't a concern for obvious reasons.

Outside of forest fires and the odd tornado, Alberta is typically safe from most other kinds of natural disasters. Most people probably would have said that earthquakes are a non issue in Alberta, up until recent events anyway. 

Airline travel is arguably one of the most dreaded parts of holidays or trips. You're trying to get to the airport on time, find a parking spot, get all your luggage and documents ready, and get everything you need to get done at the counter. Then you get to wait in the grueling lineup at airport security. All of that is just a part of the flying process. But that sinking feeling when you look up at the flight screen to see that your flight has been delayed? That feels demoralizing.  

Vehicle insurance can cover many different types of damages or losses. One of the items that your auto insurance will not likely cover is your automotive glass. Your windshield, side windows, back glass, and a sun/moon roof on your vehicle are all components that could be damaged and not have coverage. For this very reason, you can purchase a supplemental glass insurance policy to cover chips, cracks, or broken glass on your car. 

Are a Canadian citizen considering making the move to Alberta? We want to help. We understand that moving is one of the most stressful things a person can do. In order to make things a little easier, here is a short out of province guide to auto Insurance. 

Big news coming from Saskatchewan Mutual Insurance. Our partner, SMI has rebranded as Sandbox Mutual Insurance. Sandbox has launched with a fresh new brand with amazing bright colours, a clean simple look, and a fantastic new logo. Out with the old and in with the new. 

Are a Canadian citizen considering making the move to Alberta? We want to help. We understand that moving is one of the most stressful things a person can do. In order to make things a little easier, here is a short guide to navigating Alberta licenses.